Prague Spring and Post-1968 Czechoslovakia from the Norwegian Perspective

The purpose of this Bachelor's Degree Paper is to reconstruct the Norwegian perception of the process of democratization during the second half of the 1960s and to trace Norway's ensuing assistance provided to Czechoslovakia's independent initiatives. The work succinctly summarizes the development of Czechoslovak-Norwegian relations and the activities of the post- February 1948 and post-August 1968 exiles in Norway. It also explores the way Norway's foreign policy and general public were influenced by the historical milestones that had a determining impact on Czechoslovakia's post-World War II history. These landmarks include the Communist coup d'état in February 1948, the year 1968 with its Prague Spring movement and the following military invasion of the country, and the emergence of Charter 77 in 1977. In the process of the formation of Czechoslovak-Norwegian relations in the fifties and sixties, a major role was played by post-February 1948 exiles. The organization Norsk- Tsjekkoslovakisk hjelpeforening was particularly instrumental in this respect. The institution was headed and founded by Anna Kvapilová, who - formerly in her native country - had been an activist of the National Socialist Party and collaborator of Milada Horáková. During the WWII, she was imprisoned in the concentration camp..